The sole vertebrate endemic in this ecoregion is the avian species, razorbill (Alca torda). However, there are a number of special status mammals and birds within the Scandinavian and Russian taiga, as well as one reptilian taxon.

Location and general description
Scandinavian and Russian taiga. Source: World Wildlife Fund

The Scandinavian and Russian taiga is sandwiched between tundra at the north and temperate mixed forests to the south. This ecoregion encompasses approximately 2,157,000 square kilometres and covers parts of northwestern Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway. It is the most extensive ecoregion of Europe with regard to land areal size.

Growing season in taiga areas is generally considered to be measured as the number of days for which average daily temperature exceeds five degrees Celsius. The longest growing season for the Scandinavian and Russian taiga occurs in the locales with marine influence from the North Sea and Baltic Sea: in coastal areas of Norway, Sweden and Finland the growing season of the closed boreal forest can reach as high as 145 to 180 days per annum. The shortest growing season of the ecoregion is found in continental Russia and at the far northern part of the ecoregion at the ecotone with tundra.

Taiga forest around Lake Vodlozero. Source: NASA
Soil nutrient levels are generally poor, but diversity of soil organisms can attain high levels, particularly in the southern reaches of the ecoregion. In these southern elements of the ecoregion, closed canopy boreal forest with some temperate deciduous tree species interspersed among the dominant conifers, including maple, elm and oak. This southern portion of the forest (especially coastal elements) exhibits the longest growing season of the ecoregion, and in some areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland and western Russia, this zone is often exploited for agriculture. Some of the elements of the ecoregion are rich in wetlands, as exemplified by the Femundsmarka National Park in Norway, which is replete with marshes and lakes.

Biodiversity

Historic engraving of the Russian desman. Source: Gustav Mützel
There are a total of 368 native vertebrate species in the Scandinavian and Russian taiga according to WWF tabulation; when all migratory bird species are included, this number is somewhat larger. There is a single endemic species in the ecoregion, a bird, the razorbill (Alca torda).

This ecoregion supports the following native non-endemic threatened mammals: the Endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola); the Near Threatened European otter (Lutra lutra); the Near Threatened garden dormouse (Eliomys quercina); the Near Threatened giant noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus); the Near Threatened pond bat (Myotis dasycneme), the Vulnerable western barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) and the Vulnerable Russian desman (Desmana moschata).

The Scandinavian and Russian taiga has only a single non-endemic special status native reptile: the Lower Risk grass snake (Natrix natrix).

Protected areas

Muddhus National Park. Source: Ulrike Wegner
The following is a partial list of protected areas lying within the Scandinavian and Russian taiga:

Björnlandet National Park, Sweden

Femundsmarka National Park, Norway

Isojärvi National Park, Finland

Koli National Park, Finland

Liesjärvi National Park, Finland

Muddus National Park, Sweden

Paanajärvi National Park, Russia

Pirkanmaa National Park, Finland

Skuleskogen National Park, Sweden

Vodlozersky National Park, Russia

Status and threats

This palearctic ecoregion is considered Critical/Endangered and is classified as PA0608 by the World Wildlife Fund. The southern reaches of the ecoregion are threatened by conversion to agriculture due to the mild climate and long growing season.